1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game machine which can provide a game player with a thrilling and exciting fun in a game, and in particular to a game machine which comprises shift and display means for shifting and displaying various kinds of symbol marks, notifying means for notifying a game player various information and awarding means for awarding a winning prize to a game player when a predetermined set of symbol marks are stopped and displayed on a prize winning line.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has so far been provided a slot machine which is among those types of the game machine. The slot machines are described above are well known in the art. In general, such a known slot machine comprises a front panel, and three rotation reels juxtaposed in the rear side of the front panel and rotatably supported on the body of the slot machine. Each of the rotation reels has a peripheral surface having thereon various kinds of symbol marks arranged in a row at a predetermined interval. Within each of the rotation reels is provided an internal light which can light the symbol marks on the peripheral surface of the rotation reel from the rear side of the symbol marks to ensure that a game player can observe the symbol marks respectively through observation windows formed in the front panel. On the observation windows of the front panel is drawn five prize winning lines which make it possible for the game player to enjoy a game with thrilling and exciting feelings so that any predetermined set of the symbol marks will be stopped and displayed in line on any of the five prize winning lines or not.
The game machine is started by the game player when he or she inserts a game medal into a medal inserting opening. With the operation of a start lever after the game medal inserting operation by the game player, the rotation reels concurrently start rotating so that the game player can observe through the observation windows the symbol marks rotating in the direction that the symbol marks are arranged in a row on the peripheral surfaces of the rotation reels. The rotation reels which are rotated to reach a predetermined speed level make effective the operation of stop buttons respectively provided to be operable for the rotation reels.
The game player can operate the stop buttons while observing the symbol marks to independently stop the rotation reels from rotating with the aim of stopping and displaying the desired set of symbol marks in line on any one of the prize winning lines of the observation windows. This means that the rotation reels are designed to be stopped from rotating in timing with the operations of the respective stop buttons. The predetermined sets of the symbol marks on the prize winning lines of the observation windows appearing at the time of the rotation reels"" standstill results in making it possible for the game player to get a prize winning based on the set of the lined-up symbol marks on the observation windows.
The prize winning states include a big prize winning, a medium prize winning, and a small prize winning. The big prize winning and the medium prize winning are won with three symbol marks of xe2x80x9c7xe2x80x9d or other predetermined symbol marks which are stopped from rotating in line by the game player on the prize winning lines of the observation windows. The big prize winning allows the game player to play a big bonus game (BB game), while the medium prize winning allowing the game player to play a regular bonus game (RB game). These big and medium prize winnings mean that the game player can have respective rights to play a special bonus game by which the game player can obtain a large number of coins. On the contrary, the small prize winning can entitle the game player to get a few coins when the rotation reels are stopped by him or her with a predetermined number of symbol marks such as xe2x80x9cplumsxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cbellsxe2x80x9d being stopped from rotating in line on any of the prize winning lines of the observation windows.
The aforementioned prize winning states are determined based on a lottery operation using random numbers performed immediately after the start lever is operated by the game player. This means that the prize winning states are defined prior to the stop operation of the rotation reels by the game player. The lottery operation using random numbers is carried out by prize winning determining means which is assembled in the game machine. In response to the stop operation by the game player, the rotation reels are controlled to stop from rotating so that the game player can experience in reality a prize winning when the set of the corresponding symbol marks determined on the basis of the lottery operation using the random numbers displayed and stopped in line on any of the prize winning lines of the observation windows.
The above mentioned lottery operation using random numbers can determine the big prize winning which in turn raises a prize winning flag, and a notification flag with a predetermined probability. The notification flag thus raised serves to light an indication device such as a notification light provided in front of the front panel of the slot machine, thereby notifying the game player of winning the big prize winning through the lottery operation of the slot machine. The prize winning flag thus raised will remain in the subsequent game if the set of symbol marks corresponding to the big prize winning fail to be stopped and displayed on any of the prize winning lines in the current game. As a result, the notification light continues to turn on until the set of the symbol marks corresponding to the big prize winning are stopped and displayed on any of the prize winning lines.
The aforesaid conventional game machine, for instance, is operative to generate a big prize winning state by the lottery action with random numbers to raise a notification flag for notifying a game player of the big prize winning. The notification flag remains for the subsequent games only when that the result of the internal lottery operation is ensured to be notified to the game player. In other words, the notification flag will not remain for the subsequent games, if it is not ensured that the result is notified to the game player.
The conventional game machine cannot associate the current notification with the subsequent notifications. This means that a subsequent notification is notified independent from the current notification, thereby causing the contents of the current notification to be interrupted when the subsequent notification starts. This results in the fact that the fun of the games fail to be provided, thus the game player feels bored.
The aforesaid conventional machine is operated to notify the game player of the big prize inner winning generated by lottery action. On the contrary, the big prize winning itself is rarely generated, and the thus generated big prize winning simply causes to light on an indication lamp, being unable to provide the fun of the games.
The aforesaid conventional game machine displays a set of symbol marks called xe2x80x9cli-zhixe2x80x9d (for notifying the game player that the big prize inner winning is generated by lottery action) with the rotation reels stopped from rotating so that the game player can aim at the target set of symbol marks. On the contrary, only skillful game players can read xe2x80x9cli-zhixe2x80x9d state by careful observation of set of symbol marks displayed in the observation window while it is difficult for game players with no experience to read the xe2x80x9cli-zhixe2x80x9d state.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a game machine which can provide a game player with a subsequent notification notified independent from the current notification.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a game machine which makes the contents of the current notification to be interrupted when the subsequent notification starts.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a game machine which can provide a game player with the improved fun of the games to the degree that the game player feels excited and thrilled.
In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a game machine comprising: shift and display means for shifting and displaying a plurality of rows each having a plurality of symbol marks thereon, prize winning state determining means for determining a prize winning state based on random number lottery, stop control means for controlling the stop of the shift and display means to have a predetermined set of symbol marks shifted and displayed on the basis of the prize winning state determined by the prize winning state determining means, notifying means for notifying a game player of notifying information in notifying states including a current notifying state and subsequent notifying states following the current notifying state, while the game player is enjoying games including a current game and subsequent games following the current game, and subsequent notifying state determining means for determining and selecting in advance the subsequent notifying states in the current game on the basis of the current notifying state to be informed by the notifying means.
In accordance with the second aspect of the present invention, the game machine further comprises: second notifying means provided separately from the notifying means to notify a game player of notifying information in a current notifying state, and second notifying state determining means for determining and selecting in advance the current notifying states on the basis of the subsequent notifying states determined by the subsequent notifying state determining means.
In accordance with the third aspect of the invention, the game machine is formed with a medal inserting slot, and the notifying means is operative to notify the game player of the notifying state determined by the subsequent notifying state determining means when the current or subsequent game starts with a game medium inserted in the medal inserting slot.
When the current notifying state in the current game is identical to the subsequent notifying states in the subsequent games, the notifying means may preferably continue to notify the game player of the identical notifying state without interruption.
The present invention further provide a game machine in which the notifying information notified by the notifying means may be correspondent to specified prize winning state determined by the prize winning state determining means.
According to another aspect of the present invention the notifying means may be operative to notify the game player of the notifying state corresponding to the prize winning state at a predetermined probability. The prize winning state may be any of big inner winning state or medium winning state. The game machine may be a slot machine or a pinball machine.